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Amtech Systems Inc. Stock Downgraded (ASYS)

NEW YORK (
TheStreet)
-- Amtech Systems (Nasdaq:
ASYS) has been downgraded by TheStreet Ratings from hold to sell. The company's weaknesses can be seen in multiple areas, such as its deteriorating net income, disappointing return on equity, poor profit margins, weak operating cash flow and generally disappointing historical performance in the stock itself.

Despite any intermediate fluctuations, we have only bad news to report on this stock's performance over the last year: it has tumbled by 75.97%, worse than the S&P 500's performance. Consistent with the plunge in the stock price, the company's earnings per share are down 170.12% compared to the year-earlier quarter. Despite the heavy decline in its share price, this stock is still more expensive (when compared to its current earnings) than most other companies in its industry.

The company, on the basis of change in net income from the same quarter one year ago, has significantly underperformed when compared to that of the S&P 500 and the Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment industry. The net income has significantly decreased by 167.6% when compared to the same quarter one year ago, falling from $7.52 million to -$5.08 million.

Return on equity has greatly decreased when compared to its ROE from the same quarter one year prior. This is a signal of major weakness within the corporation. Compared to other companies in the Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment industry and the overall market, AMTECH SYSTEMS INC's return on equity significantly trails that of both the industry average and the S&P 500.

The gross profit margin for AMTECH SYSTEMS INC is rather low; currently it is at 22.30%. It has decreased significantly from the same period last year. Along with this, the net profit margin of -23.60% is significantly below that of the industry average.

Net operating cash flow has significantly decreased to -$6.54 million or 142.11% when compared to the same quarter last year. In addition, when comparing to the industry average, the firm's growth rate is much lower.

Amtech Systems, Inc., through its subsidiaries, engages in the design, assembly, sale, and installation of capital equipment and related consumables used in the manufacture of wafers, primarily for the solar and semiconductor industries. The company has a P/E ratio of 10.4, equal to the average electronics industry P/E ratio and below the S&P 500 P/E ratio of 17.7. Amtech Systems has a market cap of $41.5 million and is part of the
technology sector and
electronics industry. Shares are down 48.5% year to date as of the close of trading on Tuesday.

TheStreet ratings do not represent the views of TheStreet's staff or its contributors. Ratings are established by computer based on metrics for performance (which includes growth, stock performance, efficiency and valuation) and risk (volatility and solvency). Companies with poor cash flow or high debt levels tend to earn lower ratings in our model.